


Peace After Darkness

by PhantomPhan16, VicenteValtieri



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Adoption, Anxiety, Horses, M/M, Post-Star Trek: Into Darkness, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Service Dogs, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:35:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21862309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomPhan16/pseuds/PhantomPhan16, https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicenteValtieri/pseuds/VicenteValtieri
Summary: McCoy and Khan look into adopting a child. What they find is a damaged, hurting soul in need of all the love and help they can give. ABANDONED
Relationships: Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Khan Noonien Singh
Kudos: 8





	Peace After Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Before there's any confusion, this is obviously an AU. Khan did NOT attack San Francisco and was placed on the Enterprise to serve parole to see if he could change and be trustworthy. This is after the Enterprise's five-year-mission, and Khan was present for all of it and earned a pardon.

"Nervous?" Leonard asked his husband.

"Nooo. I mean we're only going to start the process of adopting a child... to nurture and guide to adulthood. What's there to be nervous about?"

Leonard chuckled.

"We'll do fine. I managed to tame you pretty well."

"That's not funny, and you didn't raise me."

Leonard reached over and pulled him in for a kiss on his forehead.

"Sorry, darlin'. I'm just teasing. Stop tapping your feet, you look nervous."

"I am nervous!"

McCoy grinned, "I knew I'd get you to admit it."

Khan turned a green-eyed glare on the doctor.

"What if they deny us because of my past?"

"Khan, they're not gonna deny us."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

He pulled in and parked.

"Come on, it's gonna be fine, darlin'."

Khan pushed out of the car and they looked up at the agency. Leonard took his hand and led him inside. Their social worker was waiting.

"Welcome, gentlemen. Needless to say, you've passed your background checks."

"Glad to hear it," Leonard said, giving Khan's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"We'll let you interact with some of the children. Don't tell them one of them is being adopted, please. It will make trouble with the others. Just talk to them, play with them, and tell me when you've come to a decision."

They nodded and followed her into a room where children of various ages were playing. Khan was drawn to the younglings making a tower of blocks while Leonard helped the older kids create a pillow fort.

Khan eventually noticed a child in the corner with brown hair and dark blue eyes. He wasn't playing with the other children. The Augment slipped up near him.

"Hello. What's your name?"

When the little one, maybe 8 years old, turned fully to face him, and Khan felt his heart crack. The boy's left eye was cloudy and pale from a cataract, and a scar beside the eye suggesting a fairly bad injury.

He didn't flinch.

"Hello, little one. I'm Khan. What's your name?"

"... Cas..."

"I like that name. It's very pretty."

"Thanks."

"Found you, darlin'. Oh, who's your friend?"

"This is Cas," Khan beckoned Leonard close, "Isn't his name lovely?"

The boy looked a little uncomfortable at the attention to his name as McCoy sat down.

"Why are you over here? Do you not like forts?" the doctor asked him.

"They're all so... loud."

"The other kids? They are, I guess. Most kids are."

"I don't like it."

"Well, no one said you had to. It's okay to want to be alone."

Cas looked away.

"... I don't want to be alone... but I don't want loud noises either."

"That's okay. We can play together and not make loud noises," Khan offered.

"... No sudden moves?"

"We'll do our best,” McCoy promised.

Cas looked at them both for a long moment.

"Okay."

They played for some time together before the social worker came back in. Leonard and Khan bid all the children good-bye and left the room.

"Have we made a decision, or do we need more time?"

They looked at each other.

"Cas?" Lenoard asked.

Khan nodded, "Cas."

"Cas?" The social worker nodded, "Come in and let's talk about Cas a bit then."

They followed her into her office.

"You want Cas then. Lets see... where to start?"

"What happened to his eye?" Leonard asked.

She sighed, "It's a sad story. That poor boy's had it rough his entire life. He lived with his grandparents. His father, Starfleet Lieutenant Stephen Taylor never made it home, a fact that pleased his grandmother, who, according to family testimonies and her own words, never approved of him since he had no money and was 'running off to the stars’. His mother, Ashley Taylor, died from complications when he born, which left him in the custody of his grandparents, Walter and Lucy Stralling. His grandfather, Walter, was his main caretaker until he was killed by a drunk driver two years ago. His grandmother then began heaping abuse on Cas, blaming him for his mother's death, for her husband's death, and just... everything. His great-aunt only found out when she came for a surprise visit and found Lucy standing over Cas having started to beat him with her cane. It was a cut and dry case to get him taken away, but unfortunately his great-aunt doesn't have good enough health to take him in, and no other family members are able to take him. So... here he is."

"...We're taking him. We'll get him a therapist, anything he needs," Leonard grimly decided.

Khan was nodding, wishing he could hide the child away from all his fears and pain.

The social worker called Cas aside and into a sitting room with Leonard and Khan. The boy came in, looking confused.

"Cas?" Khan smiled at him encouragingly.

"... Am I in trouble?"

"Cas, this is Khan McCoy and Leonard McCoy. They came here looking for a child to adopt and they want to ask you if you want to go home with them," the social worker explained gently, "You are not in trouble."

His eyes widened, "You want me?"

"Yes," McCoy smiled as well, "We do want you."

Tears filled his eyes.

"No one's wanted me since Grandpa. ... I wanna go."

"C'mere," McCoy held out his arms to hug Cas.

He ran to the doctor, who hugged him close.

"You'll like the ranch I bet," Khan said.

"You live on a ranch?"

"It's not really a ranch, we just call it that. Two horses don't make a ranch."

"Fine. We live on a large property and own two horses. It sounds like a ranch to me."

"Do you have dogs? I like dogs..."

"We have three dogs," Khan smiled.

"What kind?"

The social worker cleared her throat, and they all looked at her.

"You can learn once you're home, honey, but for now you need to pack your things."

"Oh. Okay."

He didn't have much, but Leonard and Khan planned to change that. Clothes, toys, books, games, whatever the child needed but also what he wanted to play with.

"We'll go shopping soon. Get you a few more things," Leonard told Cas as they walked out to their car.

"Okay... um... what do I call you?"

"You can call us whatever you want, Cas. Anything is fine."

"... Can I call you.... Mom and Dad?"

"If you want to," Khan smiled down at him, "I like the idea of being Mom."

Cas smiled back and shyly lifted his arms. The Augement scooped him up and hugged him.

"C'mon. Let's go home," Leonard chuckled.

Khan put the boy in the backseat of the truck. Leonard still preferred vehicles with wheels.

"Buckle up." Leonard instructed as Khan folded himself in.

Cas buckled in and looked out the window as Leonard drove. The city gave way to rolling, green hills. Khan looked back and smiled. Cas was pressed against the window, trying to look at everything as they passed.

"Do you like the orchards?" he asked Cas.

"Like apples?"

"Or peaches."

"... I don't like raw peaches."

"That's okay. I'll eat all the raw peaches and you can eat peach cake," Leonard chuckled.

"Peach cake? Grandpa used to make baked peaches... kinda like baked apples. That's my favorite."

"I've never tried them just plain like that. My favorite is peach pie."

"I like that too."

"We'll have to do a little baking then."

"... What kind of dogs do you have?"

"Lab mixes and a sweet little thing named Isis who rules the roost. You'll understand when you see 'em."

"What kind of dog is she?"

"Somethin' mixed with a chihuahua and a terrier."

"Oh."

They pulled up to a large house with fences and a barn.

"Here we are."

Three dogs rushed off the front porch, tails wagging and barking for attention."

"Sit!" Leonard commanded.

The Labradors sat at once, smiling and wagging up at their master. Isis bounced up on the fence, trying to reach them.

"Isis, sit," Khan repeated as Cas got out.

Isis sat and jumped up, sat and jumped up. Cas reached out to pet the nearest lab. He lolled out his tongue and beat his tail. The boy giggled, and the dogs snuffled up to him at once, unable to wait any longer.

"Someone likes you," Khan chuckled.

Leonard smiled. Cas laughed as he pet the dogs.

"This is Molly and that's Pitch, and this is Isis."

Khan picked the excited little dog up to keep her from jumping on Cas. Cas didn't seem to mind the little dog, soon she was happy as could be as the boy petted her.

Khan breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been worried they would have to give Isis away if the introduction went wrong.

"Can I hold her?"

"She might lick you," Khan warned as he held Isis out to Cas.

Cas didn't mind at all, giggling when the little dog licked him. Isis dug at his chest with her paws as he held her, whining as she tried to climb and lick more of him.

"Come on, lets go inside."

They all trooped into the house.

"Would you like something to eat?" Leonard asked.

"Yes please," Cas said softly.

"Okay. I'll make us all some lunch. You go upstairs with your mom and get settled, okay?"

Cas nodded. Khan took him upstairs to one of the two spare bedrooms.

"Here we are," Khan smiled down at him, "Home sweet home. If you don't like the color, we can paint it or get some wallpaper."

"... Can it be like a jungle?"

"Maybe. We'll have to see what's available at the store. I don't see why not."

They unpacked Cas's suitcase, putting away what few things he had.

"Lunch is ready!" Leonard called up.

He smiled as Cas hopped the last two steps. This was exactly what they had been missing.


End file.
